First discovery of prehistoric rock painting in China's tropical Hainan

HAIKOU, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Rock paintings carved in a cave estimated to date back to the Paleolithic Era have been discovered in south China's Hainan Province, which is the first such archeological discovery in the tropical island.

Archaeologists have determined the Paleolithic site discovered in Wangxia Township, Changjiang Li Autonomous County is the oldest human dwelling cave site found in Hainan so far, according to Li Chaorong, a researcher with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Li said the ruins were dated from 65,000 to 55,000 years ago. Remains of rock painting extend over 20 meters in the cave.

More research is expected to be conducted on studying the surrounding geology and environment of the Paleolithic remains.